Chapter-38

Here after long...Hope you like this ❤️

Previously

"Go before I do something else." He threatens in a low voice. Aditya turns around now, facing me. He holds my hand and drags me out of the room along with him.

What the hell did I just witnessed? Is his dad bipolar or there's something else which he is hiding?

•••

We came out of the room into the corridor. Aditya closes the door shut and I peep inside to have a look at his father. To my surprise, he was looking out of the window with his back facing us.

"Does this happen every time?" I asked as I wasn't able to handle this confusion anymore.

"Most of it...I mean, it's not that I visit him daily...But, whenever I do, this happens..." He said looking around the corridor.

"And you let it happen?" His face turns to me and all I could configure out of his expression is confusion.

"I mean, you let him humiliate you and shout at you, whenever he wants...?"

"What can I do?"

"Stop him, of course."

"I can't Zoya...he is my father."

"So?" Does he even hear himself?

"You are not understanding..." He says to himself in a low voice as he looks down at his feet.

"No, you are not understanding, Aditya..." He looks up from his feet to my face. He opens his mouth to say something but I beat him to it.

"You need to get this thing in your head that he can't just insult you and shout at you whenever he wants even though if he is your father... You don't deserve it..."

"Then, what should I do? Fight back? Shout at him back?"

"No, but stand for yourself..."

"You are not understanding, Zoya...I can't be selfish... He's a heart patient..." He said moving away from me, hiding his face from me so that I don't see how vulnerable he feels. But, I can make it out from his voice. I know I'm pushing him, but it needs to be done.

"Sometimes, it's okay to be selfish, Aditya... And, it is not selfishness but self respect..." I speak in a soft voice.

"You may think that he has the right to talk to you in whatever way he wants, treat you how much bad he wants because he is your father, but the truth is. . .he never fulfilled any duty as a father... He left you alone to suffer... He left you when you needed him the most... He is the reason that you still get nightmares, he is the reason that you carry this constant pit of self doubt in your chest... I can't let him harm you more..." He turns abruptly and looks at me with shock.

"If you are not going to make him face the mirror then I will..." I speak with determination and I'm not joking. I can't see him like this. This needs to end. He needs a closure.

"You wouldn't do anything like that..." He says not believing my words.

"You know that I won't fear him... If you won't stand for yourself then I will..."

"End it, Zoya...it's enough."

"I'm not going to end this anytime soon unless you consider what I told you or let me talk to him..."

"Why are you so hell bent on this topic? It's not a big deal...I'm accustomed to it and I'm okay with it...What's the problem?"

"The problem is that you shouldn't be accustomed to it and the bid deal is that you shouldn't be okay with it."

"Have you forgotten what all you had to go through because of his behavior towards you? You had panic attacks, you tried to sl-it your wrist...have you forgott-" He held out his right hand in front of him which was signal for me stop. I took in his condition and he was shaking as tears threatened to spill out of his eyes.

"I will think ab-out it...I'll just need to use the washroom..." He said as turned away from me and the distance separated between us with each step he took. He might need my help.

"Adit-" No, he needs some time alone. But, he was shaking...I hope he is not having a panic attack. I repeated the words which I told him in my mind and couldn't help but curse myself for uttering them. He was already having a hard time controlling his emotions and I just spiked them up with my words. What have I done?

•••

Aditya's POV:

I hold onto the sink's edge as I try to control my breathing. My knuckles turn white as my grip on the sink increases. I close my eyes and try to count till 10. Trying to slow down my breathing. I open the tap and splash some water on my face. When I straighten up, I come across my eyes which were bloodshot red. I focused on them and couldn't stop my lower lip from quivering as warm tears started strolling down my face. I kept looking at my eyes but the tears didn't stop.

"You may think that he has the right to talk to you in whatever way he wants, treat you how much bad he wants because he is your father, but the truth is. . .he never fulfilled any duty as a father... "

"What are you doing here, Adi?" Pa asked as he bent down to match my level sitting under the desk.

"Shhh..." I placed a finger on my lips and signalled him to stay quiet.

"What are you doing here?" He shifted closer to me and asked in a whisper.

"I'm hiding from Ma..." I spoke in a whisper.

"Why?" He whispered back.

"Because, I spilled the chocolate shake on my t-shirt...My new one..." I showed him the stain and he pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing.

"Don't make fun of me, Pa..." I whined.

"Ok, ok... it's just a stain...why are you so worried?"

"Because, this t-shirt is white and Ma warned me before to take good care of it otherwise she won't spare me... It wasn't my mistake, Pa... The chocolate shake on its own spilled on my t-shirt, I swear..." I said holding the skin on my neck.

"Come out..." He said holding my hand in his.

"No...." I requested him to not drag me out.

"Come..." He again said as he pulled me on my feet along with himself.

"Where were you two? I was searching for yo-" A gasp left Ma's mouth as she took in my state. Moreover, my clothes' state.

"Adi...you...I warned you before hand!"

"I'm sorry, Ma..." I said looking down.

"I-"

"Leave it, Anjana... It's just a stain..."

"Don't take his side...! You have spoiled him!"

"Really? And, what have you done? And, I can't deny him when he looks at me with those eyes..." He nudged my head. I ran towards Ma and kissed her hand.

"I'm sorry, Ma...I will be careful the next time..." I said looking up at her face.

"See...How can anyone deny him?"

"You are right..." Ma said as she crouched down to my level. Pa came to the other side. Both kissed my cheek respectively which made a giggle escape my mouth as I felt ticklish.

"Such a disgrace you are…"

"Leave me alone for God's sake! GO!"

I flinched as the scene replayed in my head.

"Have you forgotten what all you had to go through because of his behavior towards you? You had panic attacks, you tried to sl-it your wrist..."

"Why did Zoya had to do that?"

"She was right though..." I turned my head to my left where I saw Ma standing in a pastel pink saree looking beautiful. She had her hands crossed in front of her. Her eyes bore into mine as I felt them looking directly at my soul.

"No, she wasn't right... She wants me to fight with Pa... which isn't right..."

"Adi, she is right... And, you also know that...stop denying the truth, Cheeku... Fighting may not seem a right thing but you do need to stand for yourself... You don't deserve this..." She comes forward and wipes a tear from my cheek with her right hand.

"But, I can't do it, Ma... I can't even look him in the eye and talk normally... How will I question his behaviour towards me...?"

"You can do much more than you think... Believe me..."

"No, Ma...you don't know... I'm a coward...an-d I lack courage... there's not even an ounce of courage in me..."

"Don't tell me what I know and what I don't...I know better than you..." I looked into her eyes trying yo decode her words.

"But, Pa is not like how she said...he did fulfill a duty as a father..."

"And when was that?" She asked with curious eyes.

"When you were real?" I sniffled a sob.

"I'm still real and in your heart... But, I think what you are trying to say is years ago...when you were a kid...Which you are still to me but when you were close to 4 feet..."

"Yeah..." I trailed off as she started making a point.

"Did he acted like your father recently...?" I wasn't able to answer her. I shook my head in a no slowly.

"That was past...and you are using that as an excuse to reason out his behaviou...Adi, sometimes we tend to focus on the good things more because we don't want to even think of the bad ones... We tend to hold onto the good memories, hoping that we will relive them... hoping that one day everything will be like the good old times...but you know what? Sometimes in so much hoping we tend to notice that the other end of the thread is lying down while you are holding one end in your hand... You tried to focus on the past...on the good memories...on the moments which you spent with him that you ignored his ignorance towards you... You believed that one day he will be back to his own self, that one day he will treat you like a son and say that he is proud of you. But, in that hope you forgot that how much your dragging of past affected your present and future... It's time you stop dragging it rather value your present..."

"Ma..."

"I know you can do it...You are brave baccha..." She said as she started drifting away from me and eventually vanished.

Her words were still ringing in my head, making me question my actions. And, every ounce of what she said started making sense. She is right. Zoya is right. Only, I am at a wrong place. Sorry Ma. Sorry Zoya. I will not let your confidence in me drown,Ma...

•••

Zoya stood up from the chair kept outside the room and wiped her tears with her hand. She took a deep breath and knocked at the door. On being given the permission, she twisted the door knob and entered the room to come face to face to Aditya's father.

____________________________________________

Ah, I finally updated!

*dancing in the middle of the road*

Hope, you liked this one...was a bit difficult to write so, it took time...Also, hold onto your seats for the next one...🤓 And, thank you for congratulating me on leaving yet another chapter on a cliffhanger. I know I'm good at it...💅

Will see you in the next update...Till then bye 💕 Also, this book is reaching it's end😭 I can't believe we reached till here😭😭❤️❤️ Thank yo- I will keep the speech ready for the last chapter 🤭

Stay hydrated. Stay safe and stay sane even in the middle of some insane company.